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Chapter 5

Karai's point of view

I have always feared the day when I would have to face the consequences of my actions. I had striven hard to be loyal to the Shredder, but his teachings had gone against everything I believed in. Honor, pride, dignity and respect meant everything to a ninja. To the Shredder, however, those words meant nothing. In his mind, you were weak if you valued anything besides power. That is why I betrayed him in the first place.

He had lost sight of what it truly meant to follow Bushido, and he did not care how he hurt his enemies. All that mattered to him was establishing himself as a fierce and unapproachable god. He wanted so desperately to have the world handed to him on a silver platter that somewhere along the line he had lost himself completely.

He had chosen this way of life. He had allowed the darkness within his heart to corrupt him.

Even though he had raised me and taught me everything I knew, it still did not change the fact that he was no longer the man I had once known. There used to be some traces of humanity within him, but that had all changed once he rose in status and power. Now I fear that I must set him straight. I do not know how much success I will have in doing so, but I had to try.

There is something else I must also do. Leonardo and his brothers deserve to be happy. Something tells me that the Shredder is the one who took Donatello. It is for that sole reason that I am going to offer myself to the Shredder, in hopes that he will reunite Donatello with the others.

I quietly opened my door and walked to Leonardo's room. I went to open the door, but then stopped myself. There was no need to further complicate things between us. Whether or not he was aware of my true feelings for him, I wasn't sure. I was sure, however, that my heart ached. Once again, I was betraying him.

Leonardo had been the only one to see through my façade, the only one who even cared about the decisions and path of life I chose. How I wished we could have met under different circumstances.

Now was not the time to be wishing for things I knew I could never have, however.

I silently walked to the elevator and pressed the button on the side, stepping inside once the doors softly opened. As the elevator began its ascent, I brought one hand up to my neck. Lovingly, I caressed the silver ring with a rose in the center that hung from a golden chain.

Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael had been extremely elated to have their brother back. They felt as if I had played a crucial role in his survival and that was why this ring now hung from my neck. It was their way of saying thank you. I do not know where they had purchased such an item or even if they could have afforded it, but I was grateful nonetheless.

The doors slowly creaked open, sounding as if the hinges needed oil. As I took my first steps out of the elevator, a sudden sadness washed over me. I was walking away from the freedom and happiness that I had craved for years. Now that I had finally achieved that one simple goal, it seemed so wrong to just walk away.

The last two years had been the happiest times of my life. I had been accepted into their family. They loved and supported me, although one of them was still reluctant to accept me. A possible husband and a bright future had been in the works as well, but now I was throwing it all away.

I shook my head to clear my conscience and failed miserably. No matter how I viewed the situation, fate was not on my side. I was doomed to forever be an obedient and complacent slave to the Shredder.

I began my walk towards Headquarters, my steps slow and measured. It was going to take me a while to get there, but at least then I would be able to enjoy my last few precious moments of liberty. Once I arrived at my intended destination, I would be severely punished and then placed back in prison.

Raphael's point of view

I heard Karai leave. Even though she tried really hard to escape without us being any wiser, her little trip to Leo's room had given her away. No one else in their right mind would be visiting my brother's room at close to three in the morning.

I couldn't exactly sleep knowing that Donnie's life was in danger, which meant that I wide awake and currently in the dojo trying to meditate. Normally, I'm not one for clearing your mind and all that other mumbo-jumbo, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The funny thing about this whole situation was that I'm not happy that she left. I actually wanted her to stick around. Not for my sake, but for Leo's.

I'm not blind. I could clearly see that there was something more than just friendship, respect or whatever you would like to call it, going on between them. A small part of me always knew that Leo would end up falling for someone just like him. Given their personalities, though, they were too stubborn to admit their feelings.

I just wanted to know why he couldn't have fallen for a normal and sane individual who didn't happen to work for the Foot. And just why did that same person have to be the Shredder's right hand agent as well as adopted daughter?

Then again, I'm answering my own questions. Firstly, no woman in her right mind would even consider dating us. She'd either have to be pretty lonely or desperate to date a giant, walking, talking, mutated turtle. Secondly, we were very wary of who we trusted. We couldn't trust just anybody, for obvious reasons.

Then there was the final reason. We led a dangerous life. We couldn't afford to let our feelings control us, especially when we were trying to rid the world of the Shredder and every other Loony Toon that existed. In that aspect, I honestly don't believe that it was our place to put someone else's life in danger. Risking our lives was one thing. Risking someone else's for our own purposes was selfish and wrong.

I couldn't meditate any more for the night, so I got up and walked to the living room. I grabbed my coat and fedora, pushed the elevator's button, and waited.

Once the doors slid open, I stepped inside, shaking my head. It was ironic what Donnie's capture was doing to everyone. Leonardo was a bundle of nerves. Mikey was clinging to the false hope that Donnie would be okay. Master Splinter was probably meditating on the situation.

And me?

If only Donnie could see me now. He'd think I was some sort of evil clone. After all, it's not every day that I show blatant concern for my family let alone concern for someone like Karai.

But I had to bring her back before she made the biggest mistake of her life.